Mississippi Grind (2015)

Directors - Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden

Fairly run-of-the-mill poker film that starts off well enough despite lifting it's opening first third from Robert Altman's superior California Split, then quickly pisses away any promise by the time the end credits role. A chance meeting between Curtis (Ryan Reynolds) and Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) results in the two of them hitting the road for a high stakes poker game in New Orleans. The characters never really come to life and the direction is fairly flat. Reynolds doesn't stand a chance next to an on form Mendelsohn as the grubby low-life. Disappointing.

The Legend of Barney Thomson (2015)

Director - Robert Carlyle 

Carlyle directs and stars in this black comedy about a Scottish hairdresser who finds himself the prime suspect in a serial killer case after accidentally killing his boss. Starts off well, but drags its feet and feels stodgy after the first fifteen minutes. On the plus side Emma Thompson and Tom Courtenay turn in superb sweary performances. File under missed opportunity. Shame.